Frequently Asked Questions

Updated March, 2011

Below are the questions that are asked the most about the San Bernardino weather site.
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Where is the San Bernardino weather station located?

At the studios of KCAA radio (1050am), atop the Carousel Mall, near 4th and G Streets, in the central part of the city.
We believe the data from this location will be representative for a large portion of the city, except for perhaps the
foothill areas of San Bernardino.

Are there other online weather stations in San Bernardino?

Yes. There is a weather station at California State University, San Bernardino,
which produces minute-by-minute information. The elevation there is approximately 1,500 feet; it's in the foothills area.
The elevation of WeatherCurrents' San Bernardino station is 1,059 feet. There is also a reporting station at the
San Bernardino International Airport, using METAR equipment. Most other weather web sites carry this data, which is updated
hourly, during the daytime only.

There's climate records for San Bernardino. Where did they come from?

The climate record for San Bernardino comes from the last reliable weather source for the city, which was at the
former Norton Air Force Base (now San Bernardino International Airport). Norton Air Force Base closed in 1994. Readings were also taken at a local fire station in
San Bernardino until 2004. "San Bernardino had one of the longest climate data histories in the region," said Miguel Miller, NWS meteorologist, "providing consistent
data from 1893 until 2004, when observers at the fire department discontinued the service. More than a century of weather data is now truncated."
Unfortunately, according to NWS rules, the WeatherCurrents station location is too far away from the fire station to continue this climate
record for San Bernardino.

How will data from the San Bernardino weather station be used?

In several ways. First, the data will be used to display current conditions. Second, a complete climate record will be
kept, which will be updated each day. Climate information is available from the Climate menu link,
and past weather information, down the hour, is available under the Past Weather menu link.

The data and location will also aid the National Weather Service. Miguel Miller, a meteorologist with the NWS, described
the situation there before the WeatherCurrents station: "People who click on our map in northern San Bernardino often
retrieve Lake Gregory as the default observation, even when they click in the valley, simply because it is the
closest location we have in our data network. This is unacceptable for one of the biggest cities in our region.
Santa Ana winds, rainfall, and the temperatures representative of the city are only the top reasons of many to
have solid consistent data from San Bernardino."

WeatherCurrents' San Bernardino station, like many other WeatherCurrents stations, is part of the San
Diego MesoNet, a network of locally trusted stations that the NWS uses to aid their daily monitoring and
forecasting efforts. "The data is used as input to various forecasting and monitoring
algorithms we use in the office," said Miller. "More accurate forecasts will result."

How can I help your efforts?

Simple put, tell us what's happening with the weather in the city. If something unusual happens, such as snow, hail, wildfires,
high winds, or power outages, please report it. If you enjoy taking pictures outdoors, please
consider submitting them. We use your pictures in the featured photos area of the
main page, and also in our news items.

The San Bernardino, California weather pages are a service of WeatherCurrents.